The Five Pound Goblet and People Watching

Ok, so my solo date night blog is turning into a people watching story and a bar food/atmosphere review. And I'm ok with that.

On Saturday April 14th, I was trying a weekend at home without going and staying with my parents. I ended up feeling really blue, so I mustered up the courage to get out.  I had a gift card to Applebee's that I'd gotten for my birthday, so off I went.

I thought I was nice and early, but the parking lot was nearly full. People were waiting for tables but there was space at the bar. "Watch your step on the way in!" The hostess says. Thank goodness because I may not have seen those stairs due to looking forwards for a seat.

I sit within several empty seats. There's a man to my right with a smorgasbord in front of him. He looks like the little guy from "A Princess Bride". Inconceivable!
Lol. When he asks for a box, he dropped a couple mozzarella sticks on the floor. He didn't pack up any of the salad, he left that with his napkins on top of it. Gross.

To his  right is a couple, maybe in their 50s. The man asked loudly and rudely,  "I'd like my bill NOW!". The woman goes over the bill with him, explaining it to him and helping him figure out the tip. I can't figure out if he is drunk or has a disability or both, and he storms out. And the woman remains, apologizing over and over again to the bartender. "I pick and chose my battles with him" she says. She orders another drink and gives the bartender an extra tip. "My sister and I are regulars here. I am so sorry" she says. "She is coming to pick me up". I wonder what kind of drama I missed before I got there.

I have ordered a blackberry sangria. It has come in a glass that weighs a ton! I can't lift it. It is delicious and has several berries and lots of ice floating in it. I sip as I look around.

A VERY attractive black man has sat a cross the bar from me. His black t shirt accentuates his slim but toned torso. He has ear buds in his ears and appears either to be listening to music, or at times talking to people through them on his phone. "You getting your usual, hon?", the staff asks. He seems to be known by many. He orders the salmon. Later he really seemed to quietly enjoy a bowl of ice cream, with his ear buds removed.  At one point, he caught my eye and gave me a nice smile and a nod.  I returned the smile but then averted my gaze. God damn is he hot!

The apologetic woman has left, and a couple that was leaving noticed she left her glasses on the bartop. "She wasn't having a very good night, was she?" The man says as he handed them to the bartender. "No, she wasn't" answered the bartender.  A moment later the man comes back inside and says as he reaches for the apologetic woman's glasses, "she's still outside, making up with him I think, I'll bring them to her".

I've been eating a penne with artichoke and spinach, it's a huge portion and yummy like the goblet of sangria  I've been slowly sipping. I couldn't finish the penne, it turned into lunch a couple days later.

There's been an elderly couple to my left, sitting at the bar and eating dinner. They appear to be in their 90s...They seem to be regulars as well. "Hello, sugar, long time no see", the old gentleman says to a beautiful young waitress. "What are you doing still working here? You should be a model!". The young waitress kisses them both on both cheeks as she embraces them, and says, "I'll work on the modeling thing".

The bartender has poured what looks to be the same drink, that I AM STILL working on, for another customer, and the older gentleman asks what it was. She describes it to him. He continues to ask, "what is sangria? What is a margarita?" I enjoy listening as the head bartender heads over to help explain the drinks. I didn't notice if the elderly couple had been having anything to drink.

The elderly couple is replaced by two women who order drinks as their families wait at the hostess station for a table to eat. They are "pre gaming" as they say to the bartender. There is quite a line to get a table at this point.

Overall review: Good food. Good drink. Entertaining people watching. I have $5 left on the gift card so I have to go back. I didn't talk to anybody. I didn't want to. It was nice to get a smile and a nod from the solo hot guy. But I am really not going out to meet someone. Not at all. This is all about just getting myself out of the house and getting dinner. For now. For a while probably.

Black Bean burger, scrub guys, and "The Shot"

So, I went out by myself on March 30th, Black Friday. I had hopes to invite a coworker of mine for a girls night out for her birthday, but she was under the weather so I went out solo.

I was in the mood for a burger and a beer. So I headed downtown to Eli's Tavern. I got there at a little after 7:00, and several seats had just opened up at the bar. I wondered if maybe I had just missed a Happy Hour. I sat down with empty seats on either side of me. Looking at the menu, I decided to go for the black bean burger (never had one before) and a lager.

A few minutes later, a young woman sat down to my left, by herself. I offered her my menu and drink list as the bartender hadn't gotten to her yet. "Can i have your name to start your tab?" The bartender asks. "No, i'm just having the one, i'll pay cash" she says.  He brings her a fancy looking pink drink in a champagne flute style glass. An older woman sits down further to her left, by herself, and she seems to be a regular.

The young woman sips her fancy drink daintily but quickly as she reads what looks like an article on her phone. Within 10 or 15 minutes that fancy drink is gone and paid for, and she leaves.  The bartender collects her glass, looks at me, and says, "Well, I guess that was a shot!!". We both laughed. That was probably a very expensive shot!

A few minutes later a young guy wearing a hoody and a beat up baseball cap takes her place. He tells the bartender that a buddy will be meeting him there. He keeps to himself.

At this point my black bean burger has arrived. I go to take a bite and HALF the "burger" falls onto my plate. I struggle to eat it, alternating between using a fork and trying to shove the crumbly bean patty back into the bun.

The buddy joins the young guy. "You are still wearing your scrubs!" He says. And so is he now that I notice his pants. They get menus, and the young guy turns to me and asks, "what's good here?" Not the black bean burger! I answer. I should have ordered a real burger! "Well, I could have told you that!" He laughs and turns back to his menu and his buddy. They both ordered a "milford mule" to drink, it came in a copper cup. I may have to try it next time I go.

I manage to finish the beer, the beans, and the french fries, and I am suddenly very sleepy. I've already had a water, as well as I scooped black bean patty crumbles off my plate. I pay up, head home, climb into bed, and am asleep half an hour later.

So it was a night of people watching. I had several other things that I observed from my perch. Not all that interesting. Not all that exciting. Never ordering a black bean burger again. But I will go back to that place.